NBA players take note of ‘Broke’

Judging by the amount of Twitter feedback — including a response from San Antonio’s own Danny Green — NBA players were paying close attention to the latest edition of ESPN’s outstanding 30 for 30 series, “Broke.”

They should.

The 90-minute documentary, which premiered on Tuesday and will be shown again on Saturday, showed in details both painstaking and painful how easy — and common — it is for pro athletes to blow vast fortunes.

The NBA, of course, was well represented. At least seven players are known to have declared bankruptcy, including Antoine Walker ($110 million in career earnings), Derrick Coleman ($91 million) and Kenny Anderson ($60 million). (Former WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes declared bankruptcy as well after going through an estimated $50 million.)

There have also been various reports over the years that Scottie Pippen, Latrell Sprewell, Vin Baker, Shawn Kemp, Dennis Rodman and Eddy Curry, now in camp with the Spurs, have all suffered severe financial distress despite having made at least $50 million during their careers.

It seems absolutely impossible to blow that kind of cash. But according to a fascinating Sports Illustrated piece from 2009 that served as an inspiration for “Broke,” 60 percent of all NBA players will be broke within five years of retirement.

The causes generally fall under four categories:

* Risky investments

* Poor, and in some cases criminal, advisement

* Family issues (divorce, children out of wedlock, etc.)

* Lavish lifestyles

Read that article and watch “Broke,” and you might think twice about how awesome it would be to draw an NBA paycheck, especially if you haven’t been properly taught how to manage your money.

Or you could just take a page from the Book of Matt “Anti-Bling” Bonner: